NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sparta, NC
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
13 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sparta, North Carolina since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 18 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 13
- Tornadoes
- 18
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Sparta
None of the 13 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sparta; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1893, a tropical storm with 72 mph winds when its centre passed 66 miles away. The record near Sparta begins with an unnamed storm in 1878; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 4 miles away. The 1900s and the 1950s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 13 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 475 North Carolina cities on this site, 86% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Sparta. The strongest of the 18 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF2 on May 8, 2009; its path came within 7 miles. Of the 18, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on September 26, 2024. Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 93% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sparta. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 61 times since 1984, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 475 North Carolina cities, 53% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sparta.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sparta
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | DavidSep 5 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1952 | AbleAug 31 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1949 | Unnamed 1949 stormAug 28 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 3 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1893 | Unnamed 1893 stormAug 28 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (72 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1886 | Unnamed 1886 stormJun 22 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1878 | Unnamed 1878 stormSep 12 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Sparta: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Sparta
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s5
- 2000s3
- 1990s1
- 1970s4
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 7 mi | 4.92 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Sep 26, 2024 | EF1 | 17 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 2024 | EF1 | 21 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 5, 2022 | EF1 | 10 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 23, 2017 | EF1 | 16 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 8, 2017 | EF1 | 22 mi | 7.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 2011 | EF1 | 9 mi | 1.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF1 | 8 mi | 0.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 1977 | F1 | 14 mi | 6.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1975 | F1 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F1 | 15 mi | 32.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 18, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sparta
The Storm Prediction Center has 61 hail reports within 10 miles of Sparta since 1984, made on 44 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), fell on May 11, 2011. The most recent report is from May 6, 2022. May has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sparta
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Transou, NC, 12 miles southwest of Sparta at 2,834 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 58°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 22°F. September is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 58.7 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. June to November, the hurricane season months, bring 53% of the year's precipitation (31.2 of 58.7 inches); the other six months are drier. September has brought the most of the 13 tropical systems that passed within 75 miles (5); a normal September there has highs of 72°F and 6.0 inches of precipitation. Highs reach 90°F on about 1 days a year. Lows fall below freezing on about 138 nights a year. That 58.7 inches is more than at 118 of the 140 North Carolina stations used on this site (84%). Independence, VA, 8 miles north, has its own station (Galax Wtp, VA): 51.2 inches a year, 7.5 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 22 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Feb | 45 | 24 | 3.3 | 7 |
| Mar | 52 | 30 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 62 | 37 | 5.2 | 8 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 5.5 | 9 |
| Jun | 76 | 54 | 5.4 | 9 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 5.2 | 10 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Sep | 72 | 50 | 6.0 | 8 |
| Oct | 63 | 39 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Nov | 54 | 30 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Year | 61 | 39 | 58.7 | 90 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Transou, NC (2,834 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Sparta
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sparta: 53 thunderstorm wind reports, 21 flash floods, 9 floods, 5 heavy rain events and 4 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 2, 2011. September has had the most flash floods, 5 of 21. Of the 472 North Carolina cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 299 have had fewer than Sparta.
June 30, 2013: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Sparta — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Runoff from very heavy rain produced two feet of flowing water across Highway 21 just south of Sparta. The road had to be closed.”
September 26, 2024: flood 7 miles from the centre of Sparta — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “45 feet at 1815 UTC/2:15 EDT on Sept. 27th due to heavy rain associated with Tropical Storm Helene.”
August 17, 2016: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Sparta — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning struck a home on Fox Run Lane resulting in a fire which destroyed the house. Damage values are estimated.”
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Alleghany County, which includes Sparta, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 hurricanes, 3 tropical storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Tropical Storm Helene, on September 28, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Alleghany County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.6 million a year, the 95th highest of 100 North Carolina counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.0 million (45%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Sparta
- Independence, VA8 mi
- Traphill, NC13 mi
- Hays, NC13 mi
- Galax, VA15 mi
- Lowgap, NC16 mi
- Fries, VA17 mi
- Jefferson, NC17 mi
- State Road, NC20 mi
- Millers Creek, NC20 mi
- Roaring River, NC21 mi
- West Jefferson, NC21 mi
- Lansing, NC22 mi
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